Yesterday, Apple Inc. had another one of their legendary Launch events, where they introduced they best and brightest of their new products; basically a iPad air 2, and new product renovations in MacBooks and I OS X. Yeah that’s cool and all, now there will be mobs of more annoying people thinking its ok to take photos of anything and anyone with iPad Airs, but something about this launch fell short. Like, Apple doesn’t seem as cool and revolutionary innovative as it used to be.
Apple has reigned supreme in the world of elite computer and technology software; they revolutionized the music industry and cellphone telecommunications with iTunes and the iPhone, most recently introducing the iPhone 6 and 6 plus. Now, after decades of success setting the trend for all competition to follow, their initial debut of the iPhone and iPad, was soon followed by Microsoft and Android Google. Apple also killed the crackberry, no longer were us, youths, addicted to BBM, it was all about iMessage, iChat, or even Facebook chat if you had a WiFi signal. Not to mention it looked so much cooler. Like the sexy Louboutins of Cellphones.
The debuts of these products introduced the first of its kind, the first interactive touch tablet and first touch smart phone, which has now evolved into a smart computer, music player, DSLR camera and cell phone all-in-one. All at the behest of the ferocious leader, “The Father of the Digital Revolution,” Steve Jobs, the creator and CEO of Apple Inc. During his tenures as CEO (he was ousted in 1985, later returning in 1996 until his death in 2011) he created the first personal computer and later all of the top profitable Apple products millions of wealthy tech savvy people have come to rely on today, I mean really where would you be if you didn’t have an iPhone, iPod/iPad, and iMac, Macbook Pro, etc. etc.?
His innovation and captivating performance as a CEO crushed the competition until his untimely death. However, Jobs’s innovative legacy lived on, like the Tupac of technology, there were still so many documented ideas and aspirations he left behind. Apple became Jobs’ intellectual legacy that is keeping his dreams, ideas and memories alive. Three years later, Apple is still immensely successful and producing even better versions of their own products; which to any young social-media obsessed Apple junkie, makes them essentially irresistible, I don’t want to get the new iPhone, but that update allows me to mute group chats and its got a crazy amazing camera that will make my Insta-game on fire. This is what we’ve come to, this is the definition of cool in the digital age. That cool is what kept sales going and helped to introduce the digital age as we currently know it, where smart technology is expanding into ever element of our life. The other appeal to Apple’s cool is the social benefits that come from being an Apple junkie, they’re products are sleek, sexy and look modern and expensive. Sure they’re crazy expensive, super exclusive to only other super-expensive apple products, and start to gradually self destruct after a few years, but they’re cool and useful, which is why we obsess.
The only downside is that these products are getting more impressive and cooler, but the brains behind their actual development, people like Tim Cook, Jeff Federighi, and Phill Schiller (The usual Apple Launch event speakers) seem to be doing what they can to keep Jobs’ presentation style and his moxie or Je ne sais quoi as a CEO alive , but are simultaneously so underwhelming and predictive in their presentations, they’re killing his cool and ambitious reputation and downplaying what could be, the next big thing for Apple. Like Kim Kardashian and Kanye bringing their leather-clad toddler to fashion shows, while simultaneously dressed like they got ready in a leather tornado in the Balmain winter closet, they keep trying to set the stage for cool but are falling short from a lack of personality.
They were so lackluster and underwhelming in the discussion of Apple pay, I OS X Yosemite, and the new MacBook pro computers with Retina Display, that they downplayed their potential and instead chose to focus on the recent scandals surrounding Apple. Hidden among predictable dad jokes and awkward moods, they somehow drew attention to the iCloud leak, free U2 album and automatic download, and #Bendgate. I havent even downloaded Yosemite yet, but im psyched to do so and i think we are all in a little denial if we think that Apple pay is going to be a failure, i mean who knows what it could do to the finance world, after the success of iTunes?
Maybe Tim and Phill were just having an off day, or Tim was hot in his turtle neck, California is having a heat wave, but they need to come up with a new game plan or better speech writers to revitalize their Launch events. It was Jobs’s passion that came through most in his presentations and of they want to keep that ambitious cool alive, they need to not try to be Jobs’, but rather come up with a style that emulates that passion– makes it cool again, which will make their products even cooler.
let me know what you think, maybe I’m wrong and Apple will always be as cool as it was in the Superbowl commercial, 1984?
Thanks!
Taylor
Links
http://www.apple.com/apple-events/2014-oct-event/
http://mashable.com/2014/10/16/apple-magic-wears-thin/
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/jan/24/smartphones-timeline
http://www.macworld.com/article/2013001/apple-and-its-competitors-the-circle-game.html
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